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Torn apart by HIV status

Nkarenyi Ukonu

DOTUN was a notorious Casanova in his heyday. He couldn't take his eyes off any pretty girl, either on or off campus. He wanted anything that caught his fancy and 90 per cent of the time, he succeeded. His success at getting any girl he wanted was hinged on the fact that he had looks that were pleasing to the eye, a good body structure, a good car to move around with on campus and a sugar-coated tongue that knew the right things to tell any girl, depending on the circumstances and who the girl was. He always got it right. Above all, he was, surprisingly, not a dullard. All these qualities made it easy for him to draw the girls to him like bees to honey.

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However, the downside of his notoriety with girls was that he was quick to dump them like hot potatoes and quickly move on without a second thought. His fame spread like wild fire so much so that his school mates had to go to him for lessons on how to woo girls; and succeed they did.

By the beginning of his fourth year in the university, during the period that has been aptly tagged October rush - the period when new entrants, otherwise called Jambites, are freshly matriculated into the universities - he had already perfected his plans and strategies to woo some of the girls who were obviously naive and unaware of his escapades. After making several attempts and getting lucky with not a few, he accidentally bumped into Olaide's car. Rather than concentrate, he had his attention divided; looking out for more 'prey.'

Olaide was a young pretty girl from the upper crust of the society who could afford to ride a brand new car on campus. She was a Jambite, but one who came in with a clear-cut purpose: to stay off men and channel all her energy into making good grades. That was the promise her parents extracted from her before she was given the keys to the car. As the only child, her parents doted on her and gave her whatever she wanted; and she wasn't about to disappoint them now.

Olaide was fresh meat to Dotun and he cursed himself for not having met her in good time. He, nonetheless, thanked God for making their paths cross. The damage to the car wasn't too serious and he promised to fix it and thus began a new wooing strategy for him - something he utilised very well. But Olaide wasn't interested.

Dotun did everything possible to make her come around, but his strategies boomeranged in his face. He was taken aback that a young girl like Olaide could make wooing difficult for him; after all, he had always got any girl he wanted on a platter of gold. But the more he chased her, the harder he fell in love with her. He ignored his other girlfriends who craved his attention and channeled his energy into making sure he succeeded in his latest 'venture.' His craze for Olaide came as a surprise to his friends who all wondered what was particularly special about her that Dotun couldn't resist.

It took him three months to finally get her to accept to have a relationship with him. And what an item they turned out to be. They became inseparable. Dotun let go of his philandering and turned his back on his numerous girlfriends. He showered Olaide with so much love that people around wondered what was going on. They couldn't understand the sudden transformation they were witnessing and they all eagerly awaited the outcome of the relationship.

Dotun soon graduated, leaving Olaide behind but only for short periods, as he made it a point of duty to always check up on her either in school or at home. They remained faithful to each other. After the mandatory national youth service, he got a good job and quickly rose up in his career. By the time Olaide graduated, he proposed to her and they began making marriage plans. In order not to take chances, they both went for HIV and blood group tests. The result was shocking. .

Olaide tested positive to HIV, while Dotun tested negative. Olaide couldn't understand how come, when she had never been the philandering type and had only been with a man - Dotun - all her life. Dotun at first was shocked, but it later developed into mixed feelings. He was happy that even though he had lived a very rough life in school, his HIV status was good. He was, however, sad that Olaide, whom he made a woman and who was faithful to him, was HIV positive. This was a mystery. But it wasn't, as subsequent tests in three different hospitals declared the same result.

Families on both sides were confused. Olaide's parents couldn't ask him to abandon their child, while they couldn't also force him to go on with the marriage plans. Dotun's parents were divided over the matter. His mom said the marriage could no longer hold, while the father opted to keep mum. The people at the centre of the whole saga were also confused.

What do you suggest?

Controversial whistle-blowing website, Wikileaks weekend released more classified United States Government cables on the state of health of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the power play by influential persons around him.

The cable from then US Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Robin Sanders to the Pentagon states as follows:

NIGERIA: UPDATED HEALTH INFORMATION ON PRESIDENT YAR'ADUA (C-AL8-INTRODUCTION.

“Ref A requested updated information about the health of Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. We note that our GON and private contacts continue to state that President Yar'Adua is managing his known health issues -- chronic kidney problems -- and is not suffering from something more serious. The Villa also continues to keep a tight hold on any information concerning his health and has been cautious about any indications on travel outside of Nigeria, to avoid additional concerns. As a result, attempts to gain specific and/or verifiable information on his condition, prognoses, medication, treatment options are limited.

“The Ambassador's last personal dialogue with him (Ref. C), in which she observed him up close, noted that he was extremely frail, more soft spoken than usual, his skin was extremely drawn, teeth were extremely tarred and his involuntary cough had increased. He was, however alert and could carry on a sophisticated conversation. We have also reported, ref. B, recent extensive critical comments by a Villa staff member on the impact of the President's health on the country's governance. What is clear is that the President's health is a matter of growing concern, particularly on the minds of the northern Nigerian elite. We have noted a considerable up-tick in what appears to be behind-the-scenes machinations and backroom dealing, most notably the recent reconciliation meeting between former President Obasanjo and former VP Atiku and Atiku's pending official return in March to the ruling PDP, former President Babangida's sudden return to the political scene with a string of public pronouncements, and Kwara Governor Saraki's machinations to possibly be a PDP candidate in 2011. ..

“If Yar'Adua were closer to "death's door," we would expect more of a political power struggle publicly to break out drawing in these traditional "Godfathers" of Nigerian politics, as well as newer groupings including Kwara State Governor Saraki (and Governors' Forum chairman), some of the other Governors (e.g. Niger and Kaduna), and some members of the "Katsina clique" who have gathered around Yar'Adua. All these groups have a shared interest either in maneuvering VP Goodluck Jonathan out of assuming the presidency, or in assuring that his power as President was strictly circumscribed and that he appointed a strong Northerner as his VP. (We note there has been a speculation of a Yar'Adua demise in February 2009. Thus, this has not happened and he may either not be suffering from a terminal disease or could -- as other leaders have done in the past -- hang on longer than we anticipate.)

“Yar'Adua began a two-week vacation on January 26 (to date he still remains in Abuja and his vacation is scheduled to end on Monday, February 9). However, official statements from the Presidential Spokesman indicated that he would pass the two weeks in Lagos, Cross River State (at the Obudu Cattle Ranch) and at his home state of Katsina. There is widespread speculation, however, that the Villa may be using the guise of a "vacation" to hide medical treatment. On January 27, Kwara State Governor Saraki insisted to Ambassador that Yar'Adua will not/not leave Nigeria during his vacation; however, we believe that he is most likely receiving clandestine medical treatment in Nigeria during this period.

“Ambassador was told by two key contacts, Shell Abuja 00000203 002 of 006   VP for Africa on January 27 and Information Minister Akunyili on February 2, that experts from Germany have been brought in to oversee the President's treatment. END

INTRODUCTION.

“Information below on the health of President Yar'Adua is keyed to Ref. A questions: overall health DIAGNOSES: Despite continued statements by the Villa spokesperson that the President is not in poor health, several individuals xxxxxxxxxxxx and First Lady Turai Yar'Adua) have admitted privately to the Ambassador that he suffers from acute kidney disease (Refs. C, G, H and others). We continue to hear press and blog reports that Yar'Adua suffers from lung cancer, although this is generally from sources further removed from the Presidency. xxxxxxxxxxxx is the only credible source who confirmed that he heard reports of lung cancer. xxxxxxxxxxxx is not close to the President and has access to tertiary information at best.) On October 27, First Lady Turai Yar'Adua told Ambassador that Yar'Adua did not have lung cancer, but admitted that he suffered from long-term kidney disease and from asthma (Ref. G).

On January 27, Kwara State Governor Saraki, a medical doctor by training, told Ambassador that Yar'Adua is "not at death's door" and that he is learning to cope and manage his energy levels better, leading to an improvement in his energy and breathing since the September 2008 timeframe. xxxxxxxxxxxx a contact xxxxxxxxxxxx at the German Julius Berger company said that Yar'Adua is steadily weakening and going downhill, noting that although he is "not in danger of dying soon," his ailments were serious and chronic. Other media outlets, such as the online news site "Sahara Reporters" have reported several conditions: Churg Strauss Syndrome and/or lung cancer along with kidney disease.  In a follow-up meeting with Information Minister Akunyili on February 2, xxxxxxxxxxxx told the Ambassador that Yar'Adua remained extremely weak. xxxxxxxxxxxxx noted that when xxxxxxxxxxxx last met with him it was at the residence and not the office as he has substantially reduced his office hours to conserve his energy. xxxxxxxxxxxx said Yar'Adua told xxxxxxxxxxxx that he really wanted to go out of Nigeria for "a rest" but given the uproar over his September 2008 trip to Saudi, he was compelled to stay in Nigeria to avoid more speculation on his health. xxxxxxxxxxxx added that Yar'Adua's current strategy is to have meetings planned well in advance so he can rest up in order to be able to have enough energy to complete the session.  xxxxxxxxxxxx 

“PAIN: Most of Post's information concerns his lack of energy and fatigue; however, information exists in other channels regarding pain management.  A 3. (s/nf) health improved/worsened, changes in appearance: We believe that Yar'Adua still remains weak and as physically fragile as he was in November-December 2008. Ref. C contains Ambassador's observations during her meeting with Yar'Adua on the margins of the December 19, 2008 ECOWAS meetings. Ambassador noted: he coughed more extensively as he delivered his speech on becoming ECOWAS Chair, he appeared to weigh no more than 130-140 pounds, his skin was very taunt, his handshake was weak, voice was fainter than on previous Abuja 00000203 003 of 006  meetings, his eyes were deep set with dark circles underneath, and his teeth were also very badly tarred. Over the past several weeks, Yar'Adua has made few public appearances. Despite this, he was able to carry on a sophisticated conversation.

“His most recent appearance was at his daughter's marriage on January 25, 2008, to Bauchi State Governor Yuguda. Although we believe these appearances were meant to calm public anxiety, they actually tended to renew suspicions about his health. Based on pictures and TV coverage of these events he appears pale and weak. He continues to lose weight and he coughs and appears at times to have difficulty breathing when he talks. U.K. diplomats told us January 28 that they have seen reports that Yar'Adua wears make-up for public appearances and padding to hide his weight loss.

RESTRICTIONS TO ACTIVITY/SCHEDULE: Yar'Adua's schedule, since assuming office in May 2007, has never included long days or late night appointments (Ref. M); however, it has clearly been severely restricted since late Summer and appears to be more so since late December 2008. President Yar'Adua has made few international trips since assuming office, including missing the September 2008 UN General Assembly meetings. xxxxxxxxxxxx contact of the Mission shared his risk-analysis paper with us in late 2008 (Ref. B, q.v.), in which he complained that Yar'Adua's restricted office hours are "taking a heavy toll on governance." He also noted then that the President "works for limited hours, often can't keep scheduled appointments, and cannot undertake rigorous national tours." On xxxxxxxxxxxx told PolCouns that Yar'Adua's health has improved "a bit" since last fall; however, there has been no positive impact on his ability to meet the demands of the presidency. (This comment dove tails with Saraki's, who also indicated that Yar'Adua has had a slight improvement.) 

“Yar'adua aware of his diagnoses/prognoses: Although the spokesman for the Villa continues to maintain that Yar'Adua has no serious health problems that hinder his ability to carry out his executive functions, the President's wife admitted his serious kidney ailment to the Ambassador. We do believe that those around him may be jeopardizing his well-being for their own political gain. We note that, in conversations with other foreign diplomats, the First Lady has indicated she is looking forward to Yar'Adua running for a second term in 2011. 

“NAMES AND SPECIALTIES OF PHYSICIANS: Adamu Banye Barau serves as Chief Physician to the President. Barau applied for a U.S. visa in April 2008. xxxxxxxxxxxx Barau planned to travel to the U.S. to purchase medical equipment. In addition, we know Hussaini Yakasai Munir serves as a Villa medical officer. (NOTE: Munir applied for a visa in mid-January to attend medical training in North Carolina from February 2-14. Specifically, he will attend Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Cardiac Stress Testing, Overview of Cardiac Catheterization, Non-Invasive Management of Myocardial Infarction, and Advances of Echocardiography at Ladan Medical Center, North Carolina under Dr. Mohammad Lawal Garba.) We also know from several sources that German specialists do come in and out of Nigeria as they are, xxxxxxxxxxxx, transported by the German Julius Berger company.  A 7-8. (c) who provides yar'adua with reports on health and IS HE FOLLOWING DOCTOR'S ADVICE: We have no specific information, but we believe that his wife and other members of the "Katsina clique," such as Agriculture Minister Ruma, and possibly Kwara Governor Saraki (who is a medical doctor), are managing Yar'Adua's health strictly for political reasons, which seems to overshadow any advice he may be receiving from medical experts.

“Procedures and treatments  B 1. (C) MEDICATIONS AND CHANGES IN MEDICATION: Information  Abuja 00000203 004 of 006   exists in other channels that provides suggestions on what Yar'Adua may be taking.  B 2. (s/nf) medical procedures/surgeries in the past year: Yar'Adua had a range of medical tests in Saudi Arabia in late August 2008, about which there is reporting in other channels. According to Leadership newspaper, between August 20 and August 31, 2008 he was at the King Abdulaziz Hospital in Jeddah. We understand that, in 2001 or 2002, while he was Governor of Katsina State, Yar'Adua had a kidney transplant. The Ambassador was told on November 1, 2008 that Minister of Agriculture Ruma was the donor for Yar'Adua's transplant, but that the kidney now appeared to be failing. The individuals (lunch attendees at a Central Bank luncheon) maintained that Ruma's brother had traveled to Germany to determine if he was a potential match for a second transplant.

“ADVISED TO SEEK TREATMENT IN LAST MONTH: We understand that travel to Germany was being heavily considered by the Villa in December 2008, but given that it sparked renewed public concern about Yar'Adua's ability to govern, the President remained in Nigeria. This has been confirmed by xxxxxxxxxxxx .

“CANCELED OR POSTPONED ANY PLANNED TREATMENT:xxxxxxxxxxxx told Ambassador on December 22 that First Lady Turai Yar'Adua confided xxxxxxxxxxxx that Yar'Adua would travel to Germany for a second renal transplant between December 16 and January 1.

“Yar'Adua did not take this planned trip given public reaction to rumors about travel and concerns about his ability to govern. We have no information on whether this trip may be rescheduled.

“Medical equipment: EQUIPMENT ACCESSIBLE IN ABUJA: We understand that the Villa maintains a dialysis machine for the President's use in Abuja and from a credible source at Shell Oil Company that some additional medical equipment for the President arrived in December-January 2009. xxxxxxxxxxxx was more specific in a xxxxxxxxxxxx meeting with Ambassador, saying that Yar'Adua is on dialysis three times a week in the afternoons. 

“Access to equipment to treat lung cancer: U.S. medical personnel operating in Nigeria believe it may be possible to bring chemotherapy drugs into Nigeria to receive chemotherapy; however, the only hospital which may/may have radiation equipment is Lagos Teaching Hospital. In all, however, the American physician with whom we spoke on January 29 noted that both chemo and radiation therapy require a large cadre of trained specialists (from oncologists, to nurses and equipment technicians). However, Nigeria has little to no specialists in these areas. Due to the lack of local specialists, our medical source believed it would not be possible to receive reasonably adequate treatment in Nigeria.

“Access to equipment for surgery related to renal FAILURE OR LUNG CANCER: St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos recently began performing minimally invasive transplants (including both removal -- important as all donors in Nigeria are "living donors" -- and transplantation) using equipment from South Africa. 

NEW MEDICAL EQUIPMENT BROUGHT TO ABUJA: Press reports have circulated periodically that new equipment was being purchased (dialysis machines mainly) and online news site Sahara Reporters reported on January 22 that a contract had been awarded previously to one of Yar'Adua's brothers to build a 10 billion Naira ($64 million) "State House Clinic" at the Villa (advertised in the SUN newspaper on July 5, 2008). Sahara Reporters maintained that the clinic was never completed, but that dialysis equipment and equipment for a complete Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was purchased. As noted in A6 above, Chief Physician to the President Amadu Barau is Abuja 00000203 005 of 006   believed to have traveled to the U.S. in May 2008 to purchase medical equipment. The specific type of equipment is unknown.  Surgical equipment and specialists in Nigeria to PERFORM KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS: The St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos has a full transplant team. St. Nicholas has been performing renal transplants for approximately ten years, performing more than 80 of the 100 or so transplants that have been done in Nigeria. To date, there remains no capacity in Nigeria to do HLA (human leukocyte antigen) tissue matching, although samples can be taken in Nigeria and sent abroad for testing.

Mental health  D 1. (s/nf) does Yar'adua seem sad, detached, distracted, IRRITABLE OR CONFUSED: xxxxxxxxxxxx both reported to Ambassador in December that the President was exhausted, but still very intellectually competent, and that the political haggling and pressure of putting together a new cabinet drove him to push for a vacation outside of Nigeria. The political pressures of the cabinet reshuffle reportedly took a further toll on his physical wellness. At Ambassador's last meeting with him, he did not seem sad, detached, irritable or confused.  D 2. (s/nf) does yar'adua conduct meetings/ is he alert and FOCUSED: Yar'Adua has delivered remarks recently at the January 12 Armed Forces Remembrance Day and the January 16 presentation of the 2006 Census to the National Assembly, as well as attended the highly visible wedding of his daughter to Bauchi Governor Yuguda on January 24. In these public appearances, he appeared physically fragile. Ambassador noted in her December 19 discussions with Yar'Adua and observations of him at ECOWAS that he "remained focused and still showed intelligence, understanding and awareness in his dialogue." Others, from the Foreign, Petroleum and Information Ministers to the Central Bank Governor, have confirmed the same. 

“Does yar'adua use prepared notes/ do aides prompt HIM OR ANSWER FOR HIM: Yar'Adua spoke at the January 12 Remembrance Day events in Abuja without notes. In his December 19 interactions with Ambassador, he spoke without notes and without prompting from aides. We believe that he is still intellectually fit, even if we don't agree with his style of governance. However, his physical weakness adds to the inability of his administration to do more on top of his slow leadership style. We judge that even if his health were not an issue, his governance and leadership style would likely remain slow and largely ineffective as a result of his personality, his lack of a political network of his own, and the fact that he chooses not to dictate decisions to his Ministers, even when necessary and/or expected. Although he may not be up for days beforehand, he still chairs his weekly Cabinet meetings, which we still understand can run 3-4 hours.

“Spread of health information. Why are yar'adua/family/advisors reluctant to DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION: While we have heard the argument that Yar'Adua's quiet personality and his northern Nigerian culture are the reasons for his unwillingness to discuss health information, we believe that those close to him are motivated more by a desire to retain power. His wife and several special advisors, such as Economic Advisor Tanimu Yakubu, we would put high on this list as they only have influence so long as he is President.  E 2.xxxxxxxxxxxx  Abuja 00000203 006 of 006  stage is missed. (This is a point the Mission raises regularly with GON interlocutors.)  E 3. (c) reasons or motivations for those close to yar'adua TO LIE ABOUT HIS HEALTH: We would characterize the behavior of those close to Yar'Adua more as avoidance, secrecy and disregard for what is ultimately medically best for the Nigerian President. We would add that the closed-mouth nature of both Yar'Adua and his wife, plus the influence of their religion are also factors. In Yar'Adua's May 15, 2008 interview with the Financial Times, he admitted he is "a normal human being, who can fall sick," hinting at his medical condition. His wife admitted his kidney and asthma ailments to the Ambassador on October 27, 2008 without hesitation. So, his handlers do not directly lie, but just go to great lengths to avoid talking about it. 

(U) This cable was coordinated with Consulate Lagos. SANDERS.”

For refusing to sell razor blade to him, policeman attacked trader but got killed

MEIRAN, a serene but densely populated suburb of Lagos, has always been in the news, sometimes for positive reasons or the opposite. Residents said it had been quiet for a while, but penultimate weekend, the serene atmosphere of the community was once again shattered.

A frail looking trader was said to have stabbed to death a police constable attached to the Lagos State police command.

Saturday Tribune gathered that the incident occured in the early hours of Saturday, January 8, after the deceased, Constable Iradia Aomen, attached to the Meiran police division, was said to have signed off duty by 9:00p.m.

A police source at the station, who pleaded anonymity, relayed the incident that led to Aomen's untimely death. According to him, Aomen was on traffic duty the previous day after which he signed off and left the station. Unknown to his colleagues, the late police constable neither headed towards his house nor took time to remove his uniform. He was alleged to have gone to a nearby joint and kept himself busy with his favourite beer.

Saturday Tribune investigation further revealed that the late Aomen was a known customer at the joint and on that fateful day, he left the pub a few minutes after midnight and headed for the kiosk of a petty trader close to his station, identified as Suleiman Musa..

On his arrival at Musa's shop, the late Aomen was said to have asked the Mallam, as he was popularly called, to sell a razor blade to him.

Musa, at the time the constable got to his shop, was said to have locked up the shop, ready to go home. The police source told Saturday Tribune further that the trader, who was being assisted by his 12-year-old son, told the allegedly drunk policeman that he could not re-open his kiosk to sell the razor blade to him.

The policeman was said to have felt insulted that a 'bloody civilian' would refuse selling what he demanded to him. The late cop then insisted that Musa must sell the item to him. When it became clear that the late constable would not take a 'no' for an answer, Musa took his son, who stood watching the unfolding drama and headed towards the Gatankowa area, where their home is located.

The late constable was said to have pursued Musa and in no time caught up with him. A fight later ensued between the duo, while the policeman allegedly pushed Musa from behind, questioning the seller's effrontery to turn down his request.

Stretched to the limit of his patience, Musa allegedly stabbed the late policeman with a knife. Though residents of the area could have heard the bickering outside, no one came out to pacify the feuding parties.

"At first, the police patrol team that saw the two of them lying unconscious on the road thought they were armed robbers taking positions to attack them. But on a closer look, they realised that one of them was in police uniform and bleeding profusely. They then approached both of them and rushed them to a nearby private hospital. The hospital was said to have demanded N35, 000 for treatment," the police source stated further.

Further Investigations revealed that the doctor that attended to the duo expressed shock at the level of injuries they sustained. As fate would have it, Musa recovered after the doctor had treated his wound and administered some drugs on him. The policeman was not so lucky. Constable Aomen was pronounced dead around 2.00 p.m. The police source told Saturday Tribune that Musa was picked up after the policeman died and was detained at the Meiran Police Station before being transferred to the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti street, Yaba.

Shortly after Aomen's death was announced, his relatives who were contacted at Ikorodu, Lagos, demanded to know the real cause of their son's death.

Speaking with Saturday Tribune, a civil servant identified simply as Wendy, whose house is close to the spot where the fight took place, said: "My wife and I were awake when the fight started. Initially, we thought that they were robbers. So we decided to sidon-look. Not until we heard the siren of the police van that we decided to come out to see what was actually happening. We saw the police carry the two of them into their vehicles motionless. It is unfortunate that the policeman did not make it at last." The suspect has been charged to court.

Abati: The Jonathan Presidency (11)

THE ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) held its convention and presidential party primaries on Thursday January 13 at the Eagle Square, Abuja. The three candidates at the primaries were incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice president Abubakar Atiku, and Mrs Sarah Jibril. In the run up to this, there had been much mudslinging and exchange of bile between the two leading candidates, Jonathan and Atiku, with both candidates investing heavily in media advertisement.

In its campaigns on the eve of the primaries, the Jonathan group (One Nigeria Coalition)  stole the Atiku line as follows: "Dr Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan's Experience says it all! - university teacher, skilled technocrat, deputy governor, acting Governor, Vice president, Acting President, President, ECOWAS Chairman." On television, the group ran a campaign wishing every Nigerian: Goodluck! In counter adverts, the Atikus asked: "Who is the better prepared?- Jonathan: Even  his alleged bribes rejected, Never contested election; Inexperienced, uninspiring, Cannot honour agreements; Atiku- The comeback kid, Fought third term, Demystifies incumbencies, Experienced, reliable, sincere."  In other advertorials, it was alleged that Jonathan and co had perfected plans to rig the PDP Presidential primaries and the 2011 elections. The rhetoric of political campaigns in Nigeria is usually self-serving and acrimonious.

Sarah Jibril, seeking the ticket for the third time, ran a low budget, self-effacing campaign and was the least combative candidate. The PDP presidential primaries was necessarily a contest of many forces seeking a showdown: North vs South South, Jonathan vs Atiku, Obasanjo vs Atiku, Northern Political Leaders Forum/Arewa Consultative Forum vs Ijaw National Congress.  Fears had been expressed that the bombs that exploded on October 1 and December 31, in Abuja and in Jos (December 24) may have been linked to Jonathan's rejection of the PDP zoning formula and the determination of his opponents to make the country ungovernable and thereby discredit him. Much earlier the Jonathan Presidency also accused his political opponents of seeking to commit "treason" with an unveiled threat that the administration would be ruthless in dealing with such persons.

The PDP Presidential primaries in effect, turned out to be more or less a military exercise, with massive security arrangements. It is yet another sign of the underdevelopment of the Nigerian state and its democracy that every major election has to be held under heavy security presence in order to hold back the constant threat of anarchy. In 2007, the April general elections were no better than a military operation as soldiers took over the entire nation to ensure peace. For its Presidential primaries, the PDP took advantage of its control of power at the centre, and practically shut down the Federal Civil Service for two days! Five security checkpoints were located in areas leading to the Eagle Square manned by the Police, Vehicle Inspection Officers, the military, the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Civil Defence Corps; people were forced to trek for about two kilometers to get to the venue, and at each point, they were subjected to bomb scan, security scan and body search!

Nigerian public officials and political leaders consider it a proof of their importance to arrive late at public functions, and to start every programme behind schedule without being required to offer any apologies. Thus characteristically, the PDP convention which was scheduled to start at 10 am, did not start until 5.34 pm. Sarah Jibril arrived at the venue at 11.58 am, Atiku at 4.15 pm, Vice President Namadi Sambo, at 5. 13 pm, and Goodluck Jonathan at 5. 30 pm! The primaries, aired live on television, by Africa Independent Television (AIT), and the public-owned Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), appeared peaceful, and transparent, as the entire process was conducted in full public glare. It ended the following morning around 6 am, with the results read by Professor Tunde Adeniran, Chairman of the PDP Electoral Committee. Out of a total of 3,603 votes cast, 61 ballots were voided, Jonathan won 2, 736 votes, Atiku 805 and Sarah Jibril, one vote, making Jonathan the presidential flagbearer of the PDP in the 2011 general elections with Namadi Sambo, the Vice President as his running mate.

This was the first election that President Jonathan would run and win as the principal candidate. His emergence as the Presidential candidate of the ruling party was a major moment for the country's minorities who since the Willinks Commission (1958/59) had been agitating for equity within the Nigerian Federation. But more significantly, Jonathan's victory exposed the failure of the so-called northern consensus on the zoning of the presidency to the North. Jonathan polled majority votes in all the country's six Senatorial zones, as follows- North Central: Jonathan (380), Atiku (165), Jibril (1); North West: Jonathan (422), Atiku (365), Jibril (0), South West: Jonathan (482), Atiku (22), Jibril (0); North East: Jonathan (331), Atiku (154), Jibril (0), South East: Jonathan (423), Atiku (23), South South: Jonathan (625), Atiku (9), JIbril (0).  He won convincingly across the country except in three states in the North West - Sokoto (932-84), Kano (21 - 98), Zamfara (7 - 70) and Niger (16 -84) which he lost to Atiku. He however beat Atiku in his home state of Adamawa and even in Yobe, the home state of Mallam Adamu Ciroma, one of the loudest pro-zoning campaigners, and by a wide margin in Katsina (147 - 11), President Yar'Adua's state. His victory further advertised the power of incumbency and the increased influence of the 27 PDP Governors. Alhaji Atiku who had condemned the Jonathan administration in his campaign speech, rejected the results, his agents refused to sign the results sheet. There were threats of court action, but a few days later Atiku shut down his campaign office and announced that he would remain in the PDP.

The most courageous of the candidates however was Sarah Jibril: she had no power of incumbency to exploit, and no money to distribute among delegates but she displayed character and determination. In her speech, she had appealed to women delegates to support one of their own, and all men to support Mama Sarah Jibril. But this gender pitch earned her just one vote. This was a sad comment on the place of women in public life in Nigeria, the status of women and the chauvinism of Nigeria's democracy. Mama Sarah Jibril, seeking the Presidential ticket a third time,  has however earned a place in history: whenever a woman emerges as Vice president or president of Nigeria in the future, she will be remembered for her pioneering efforts in that direction. In his acceptance speech, Dr Goodluck Jonathan remarked that there was "no victor no vanquished", and began promptly to reach out to the Northern political establishment through a programme labeled CAR- "Consolidation, Appeasement and Reconciliation". Nonetheless, there were protests against his candidacy in parts of the north - notably Kaduna and Bauchi. The Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) also met to plan their next course of action. Meanwhile, a group of northern leaders, the G-20, led by Chief Solomon Lar and South East Governors congratulated Jonathan and Sambo. The resilience of a section of the North insisting on its right to power would remain a sub-text of the Jonathan ascendancy, with implications for post-election politics, and an early indication that the President's victory may well be pyrrhic.

By January 20, most of the party primaries had been concluded, with candidates of the various political parties already known, although the INEC election time table allowed the primaries to be held on or before January 31, 2011. The key Presidential candidates that had emerged included Goodluck Jonathan (PDP), Muhammadu Buhari (CPC), Nuhu Ribadu (ACN), Pat Utomi (Social Democratic Mega Party) Dele Momodu (National Conscience Party), Ibrahim Shekarau (ANPP), John Dara (National Transformation Party), Peter Nwangwu (African Democratic Congress) and Ambrose Ewuru (Hope Democratic Party). On Saturday, January 15, 2010, INEC launched a two-week voters' registration exercise; the excitement which Nigerians showed during the party primaries and with which they embraced the voters registration showed a deep passion for democracy and particular interest in the 2011 general elections. But as the processes leading to the elections began, was there any indication that the 2011 elections would be an improvement on previous elections, or confidence that it would be credible? The general feeling sadly, was that the elections were doomed to fail, and that Nigeria's transition towards democratic rule was yet to yield desirable outcomes eleven years after. 

The pre-election phase was characterised by the usual crisis of institutional failure and the country's poor state of preparedness. Across Africa, there has been a demonstration of the weakness of democratic structures and extant capacity deficits as has been seen in Kenya, Cote d'Ivoire, Malawi, and Guinea. In Nigeria, the change of guards at the electoral commission only further exposed the weakness of the institution as the new Chairman and his team revealed that the system needed to be built afresh, beginning with the procurement of equipment, the training of staff, the preparation of a voters' register. By July 2010, the INEC Chairman had complained about lack of funds and in Septmeber, about the need to change the election timetable. From this point onwards, the entire process had to be rushed, including Constitutional Amendments that had been left unattended to by the legislature, in order to meet the hand over deadline date of May 29, 2011.   It was only on January 10, 2011 that the amended 1999 Constitution was signed into law by President Jonathan, prompting legal action by Olapade Agoro, presidential aspirant, National Action Council, who requested that the INEC time-table and the primaries should be declared null and void.    

The voters' registration (Jan 15 -29) exercise, marred by irregularities, violence and outright failure in the first week, exposed just how unprepared both Nigeria and INEC were, further raising anxieties about the elections considering the importance of a voters' register and the integrity of processes to electoral outcomes. A budget of $75 billion was earmarked for the voters' registration exercise but by the end of the first week, the INEC Chairman was reportedly complaining about lack of funds, even if one of the three contractors had not supplied all the Direct Data Capturing Machines (laptop, fingerprint scanner, web camera, and battery) which malfunctioned in many places. In many states, angry youths who could not be registered attacked the youth corps members who had been recruited to serve as ad hoc officials. Three persons were shot in Ebonyi state, two persons were killed in Jos, scores were injured in Bayelsa, thugs went on rampage in Osun.

The politicians had obviously not learnt their lessons. The party primaries across board were marred by violence, the absence of internal democracy in all the parties, with powerful Godfathers in many states imposing their wives, daughters, sons-in-law, and cronies without creating a level playing field for open competition. In Osun, Ekiti, Lagos, Anambra and Edo states, ACN members protested alleged imposition of candidates; in Ogun, Zamfara, Abia, and Delta states, aggrieved PDP members held parallel primaries thus deepening intra-party confusion and division, in Akwa Ibom, the Governorship primaries had to be canceled and a rerun ordered by the party headquarters.

Dele Alake, ACN Senatorial aspirant in Ekiti, Central offered an apt description of the entire process when in withdrawing from the race he wrote: "I did not envisage that an intra-party primary would degenerate into malpractices, fraud, violence and brigandage... I have come to the painful conclusion that it will be an uphill task for decent people with a sense of propriety to be part of such process... I do not and will not be part of a scheme that will hoodwink the public because I want to serve them...." (The Nation, Jan. 13, 2011.) In an interesting development, the Chairman of the ACN, Chief Bisi Akande, retorted that "Nobody should accuse the ACN of imposition because that is our style. Anyone that is not comfortable with that should go and contest in another political party."

The security agencies were unable to check the spread of violence during the party primaries and after. The high level of desperation at the intra-party level could only suggest a further heightening of tension during inter-party competition and hence an urgent justification for more pro-active security responses. The monetisation of politics also remained a problem. There were allegations of votes buying, and in the absence of a machinery for tracking campaign finance, the stage was well set for the corrupt manipulation of electoral outcomes. As at January 2011, there was no real emphasis on ideas and programmes, other than the ambition of political office seekers. With the conclusion of the primaries, many politicians defected overnight to rival parties which could offer them the party tickets for the 2011 polls.

The mismanagement of the pre-election phase had obviously sown the seeds for future litigations and sundry crises with regard to the abuse of human rights and the rule of law, the ineffectiveness of government services, legitimacy of outcomes, and the failure of law enforcement agencies.  The role of the media was also suspect; for example Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja, the Gubernatorial candidate of the Accord Party in Oyo State, protested that his campaign material was rejected by the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS). Also, the Jonathan campaign team used the NTA owned by the public, to promote the President's candidacy while media organs owned by politicians toed the party line shamelessly.  ..

The first phase of Nigeria's 2011 general elections was at best a selection process, the preparations were shoddy, the dominant PDP had no strong opposition to challenge it; there was a lot of excitement among the people but no optimism for the kind of real change sought by an increasingly vibrant civil society. Will Jonathan keep his promise to ensure free and fair polls and make the people's votes count?

Can you believe this! While the Japanese are moving ahead with technology that provides opportunity for mind-controlled robots, some clowns in Nigeria are still yapping about "zoning".

Wake up and smell the zobo jo!

• Seven babies and one mother allegedly died at hands of 69-year-old Real life Doctor Evil
  

These are the first pictures of the employees charged alongside abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell for their part in his ‘House of Horrors’ clinic murder investigation.

Gosnell, 69, has been charged with murdering seven newborn babies and a 41-year-old mother in botched operations that resulted in ‘barbaric’ killings at his Philadelphia practice.

He was assisted by nine under-trained - sometimes untrained - people at the Women’s Medical Society and they have also been charged with various crimes; four with murder.

The doctor: Kermit Gosnell

Charged: Pearl Gosnell

Employee: Elizabeth Hampton

Lynda Williams, 42, who allegedly performed operations and gave anesthesia without a license, faces with multiple murder charges.

Unlicensed Adrienne Moten, 33, is charged with the murder of a baby.

Sherry West, 54, is charged with third-degree murder.

Gosnell's 49-year-old wife Pearl is charged with illegal abortion and conspiracy.

Elizabeth Hampton, the doctor's sister-in-law, is charged perjury and obstruction of justice.

The other clinic employees facing charges are unlicensed medical school graduate Eileen O'Neil, 54, who is charged with theft by deception, conspiracy and perjury, while clinic manager Maddline Joe, 53, faces accusations of conspiracy.

Tina Baldwin, 45, is charged with racketeering, conspiracy and corruption of a minor, having allegedly allowed her 15-year-old daughter to administer anesthesia.

A ninth defendant, Steven Masoof, 48, is yet to be arraigned but is expected to face baby murder charges.

Arrested: Tina Baldwin

Assistant: Lynda Williams

Worker: Adrine Moton

Accomplice: Eileen O'Neil

Mugshot: Sherry West

Held: Maddline Joe

All were arraigned alongside Gosnell on Thursday.

Prosecutors claim Gosnell murdered the babies by snapping their spinal cords with a pair of scissors after they were born alive in illegal late-term abortions.

A 41-year-old mother, Karnamaya Mongar, died after being accidentally overdosed with anaesthetics.

Authorities suspect the physician and his team may have killed hundreds of babies during the course of Gosnell's 30-year practice. He made $1.8million in one year alone performing the procedures.

The clinic allegedly treated mainly poor and immigrant women who could not get the abortions anywhere else.

Officials said the 'disgusting, squalid, horrifying' house was more like a 'House of Horrors' than any bona fide medical facility.

‘There were bags and bottles holding aborted fetuses were scattered throughout the building,’ said Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams.

House of horror: A grand jury photograph shows what police say are plastic bags hiding body parts in a refrigerator inside the Philadelphia practice - right next to what appears to be a carton of Minute Maid juice

Sickening: Another grand jury image showing what police claim are bags of body parts at the Philadelphia practice

‘There were jars, lining shelves, with severed feet that he kept for no medical purpose,’ he added. ‘Some of this was kept in the refrigerator where the staff kept their lunches.

‘The clients would pay on a sliding scale depending on how big their baby was.'

He continued: ‘I am aware that abortion is a hot-button topic.

'But as district attorney, my job is to carry out the law. A doctor who knowingly and systematically mistreats female patients, to the point that one of them dies in his so-called care, commits murder under the law.

‘A doctor who cuts into the necks severing the spinal cords of living, breathing babies, who would survive with proper medical attention, is committing murder under the law,’ he added.

Victim: Karnamaya Mongar, 41, died at Dr Gosnell's clinic

'House of Horrors: The West Philadelphia Women's Medical Society, where Dr Gosnell held his practice

Mr Williams alleged Gosnell would induce labour in his patients and the babies would be born ‘squirming and crying’ before having their spines cut.

Some of the filthy operation rooms had litter boxes and animals present at the times of the operations, according to court documents.

Police only discovered the clinic’s gruesome secret after launching a probe into allegations that the doctor provided prescription drugs in an illegal ‘pill mill'.

All of the suspects are behind bars following police swoops last night.

Gosnell, a family practitioner who was not a qualified OB/GYN, has been named in at least 10 malpractice suits, but Mr Williams said state regulators ignored complaints about his clinic and that the office hadn't been inspected since 1993.

No action was taken even after patient Karnamaya Mongar died during what was supposed to be a routine operation in November, 2009.

During a search of the doctors home, investigators said they discovered $240,000 in cash.

Gosnell has been named in at least 10 malpractice suits, including one over the death of Miss Mongar.

The bed patients used and the chaotic stockroom in the 'House of Horrors' clinic in Philadelphia

A doctor whose abortion clinic was described as a filthy, foul-smelling “house of horrors” that was overlooked by regulators for years has been charged with murder, accused of delivering seven babies alive and then using scissors to kill them.

In a nearly 300-page grand jury report filled with ghastly, stomach-turning detail, prosecutors said Pennsylvania regulators ignored complaints of barbaric conditions at Dr Kermit Gosnell’s clinic, which catered to poor, immigrant and minority women in the city’s impoverished West Philadelphia section.

Prosecutors called the gruesome case a “complete regulatory collapse”.

“Pennsylvania is not a Third World country,” the district attorney’s office declared in the report. “There were several oversight agencies that stumbled upon and should have shut down Kermit Gosnell long ago.”

Gosnell, 69, was arrested and charged with eight counts of murder altogether in the alleged killings of seven babies and the death of a woman from an overdose of painkillers. Nine of Gosnell’s employees – including his wife, a cosmetologist – also were charged.

Prosecutors said Gosnell made millions of dollars over three decades performing thousands of dangerous abortions, many of them illegal late-term procedures. His clinic had no trained nurses or medical staff other than Gosnell, a family physician not certified in obstetrics or gynaecology, prosecutors said.

At least two women died from the procedures, while scores more suffered perforated bowels, cervixes and uteruses, authorities said.

Under Pennsylvania law, abortions are illegal after 24 weeks of pregnancy, or just under six months, and most doctors won’t perform them after 20 weeks because of the risks, prosecutors said.

In a typical late-term abortion, the foetus is dismembered in the uterus and then removed in pieces. That is more common than the procedure opponents call “partial-birth abortion”, in which the foetus is only partially extracted before being destroyed. Prosecutors said Gosnell instead delivered many of the babies alive.

He “induced labour, forced the live birth of viable babies in the sixth, seventh, eighth month of pregnancy and then killed those babies by cutting into the back of the neck with scissors and severing their spinal cord”, District Attorney Seth Williams said.

Gosnell referred to the practice as “snipping”, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors estimated Gosnell ended hundreds of pregnancies by cutting the spinal cords, but they said they couldn’t prosecute more cases because he destroyed files.

“These killings became so routine that no one could put an exact number on them,” the grand jury report said. “They were considered ‘standard procedure’.”

Defence attorney William J Brennan, who represented Gosnell during the investigation, said: “Obviously, these allegations are very, very serious.”

Authorities raided Gosnell’s clinic early last year in search of drug violations and stumbled upon “a house of horrors”, Williams said.

Bags and bottles holding aborted foetuses “were scattered throughout the building”, the district attorney said. “There were jars, lining shelves, with severed feet that he kept for no medical purpose.”

Prosecutors said the place reeked of cat urine because of the animals that were allowed to roam freely, instruments were not properly sterilised, and disposable medical supplies were used over and over.

Gosnell didn’t advertise, but word got around. Women came from across the city, state and region for illegal late-term abortions, authorities said. They paid $325 for first-trimester abortions and $1, 600 to $3, 000 for abortions up to 30 weeks. The clinic took in $10, 000 to $15, 000 a day, authorities said.

“People knew near and far that if you needed a late-term abortion you could go see Dr Gosnell,” Williams said.

White women from the suburbs were ushered into a separate, slightly cleaner area because Gosnell believed they were more likely to file complaints, Williams said.

Few if any of the unconscious patients knew their babies had been born alive and then killed, prosecutors said. Many were first-time mothers who were told they were 24 weeks pregnant, even if they were much further along, authorities said.

Prosecutors said Gosnell falsified the ultrasound examinations that determine how far along a pregnancy is, teaching his staff to hold the probe in such a way that the foetus would look smaller.

Gosnell sometimes joked about the babies, saying one was so large he could “walk me to the bus stop”, according to the report.

State regulators ignored complaints about Gosnell and the 46 lawsuits filed against him, and made just five annual inspections, most satisfactory, since the clinic opened in 1979. The inspections stopped completely in 1993 because of what prosecutors said was the pro-abortion rights attitude that set in after Democratic Governor Robert Casey, an abortion foe, left office.

Four clinic employees were also charged with murder, and five more, including Gosnell’s wife, Pearl, with conspiracy, drug-related and other crimes. All were in custody. Gosnell’s wife performed extremely late-term abortions on Sundays, the report said.

One of the murder charges against Gosnell involves a woman seeking an abortion, Karnamaya Mongar, who authorities said died in 2009 because she was given too much of the painkiller Demerol and other drugs.

Gosnell wasn’t at the clinic at the time. His staff administered the drugs repeatedly as they waited for him to arrive at night, as was his custom, the grand jury found.

Mongar and her husband, Ash, had fled their native Bhutan and spent nearly 20 years in camps in Nepal. They had three children. A man who answered the phone on Wednesday at a listing for Ash Mongar in Virginia did not speak English, while their daughter did not immediately return a message.

The malpractice suits filed against Gosnell include one over the death of a 22-year-old Philadelphia woman, a mother of two, who died of a bloodstream infection and a perforated uterus in 2000. Gosnell sometimes sewed up such injuries without telling the women about the complications, prosecutors said.

Gosnell earned his medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and is board-certified in family practice. He started, but did not finish, a residency in obstetrics-gynaecology, authorities said.

Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore said: “He does not know how to do an abortion. Once he got them there, he saw dollar signs and did abortions that other people wouldn’t do.”

IT HAS been all change at the top of two of Silicon Valley’s most prominent tech giants this week. First Apple revealed that Steve Jobs, its boss, was
stepping away from day-to-day management responsibilities
... at the company to focus on an unspecified health problem. Then on January 20th Google said that Eric Schmidt, the firm’s chief executive, would hand over that role in April to Larry Page, one of the firm’s two co-founders. Mr Schmidt will become executive chairman, focusing on areas such as acquisitions and government relations, while remaining an advisor to Mr Page and Sergey Brin, Google’s other co-founder, who is going to concentrate on certain strategic projects. (Messrs Schmidt, Page and Brin, from left to right, are pictured above with one of their experimental self-driving cars).

The change makes sense, though arguably it should have happened sooner. As Google has grown from a start-up into a global powerhouse with 24,000 employees,
some of its original entrepreneurial spirit has been crushed
 by a burgeoning bureaucracy. Several prominent Xooglers, as former employees of the company are known, have complained that it has become difficult to get things done at the firm. And rivals such as Twitter and Facebook have exploited this growing sense of frustration by pinching talented executives from Google’s ranks.

I am like I said doing something abominable and I know. But I cant help myself. I am an existing member of this very popular "website" but I cant post this using my original ID for fear of the stigma cos some of friends in school knows me online.

I am 23yrs old and I am sleeping with my two elder sisters husbands. I am the last girl in a family of 4, 3 girls & a boy. The boy is the oldest. The most painful part is that I am in love one, who happens to be my immediate elder sister's husband. my immediate elder sister is 4yrs older than me. I have always had a crush on her husband right from when they were dating but I never thought it will get to the stage of me sleeping with him. Their marriage is 2yrs although they have no children yet. I am in LASU and their house is close to my school so I moved in with them after their wedding. Our illicit affair didnt start until april last year. My sister works on the Island and leaves for work very early in the morning while the husband is a business man in Alaba market. So I am left with making his food in the mornings before he goes to work. The first time was a mistake but it has never stopped after that mistake. It is actually a daily routine except on weekends that my sister doesnt work. I have cried several times because of what I am doing to her because she doesnt deserve it. She is a wonderful person...

On the part of my eldest sister, her husband is very wealthy and so he buys me things I can only dream of whenever he travels. He calls me baby of the house. They have 3 kids. His own is that he seduced me with a drink on my 20th birthday. I lived with them from when I was 17. We still do once in a while but its usually against my will cos he buys me stuffs even as I am in my immediate elder sister's house. I think I am finished if this thing gets out. I want to stop but I am already in love with my immediate elder sister's husband. He is so caring and so romantic. Someone please slap me out of this.

The former vice president, Atiku Abubakar has put an end to his 2011 presidential campaign by formally shutting down the Atiku Campaign Organisation. Mr. Abubakar, who announced the closure at the 1, Luanda Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja office of the organisation, however told the members of staff of the organisation gathered there that he was not a quitter and that anyone who thinks otherwise is making a mistake. "As you all know, the convention (PDP presidential primaries) fell short of our expectations. You should not despair (and) on my own part, I want to assure you that I am not a quitter. If you think that I am quitting and giving up, you are making a mistake," he said. He also said that only a few gave his bid for the PDP presidential ticket any chance of getting far...

"However, we were able to reach a number of important milestones along the way. Some said I was not going to be allowed to return to the party (PDP), but I did. Some said I was not going to be given a waiver, I got a waiver. Some said I may not emerge as consensus candidate, but I prevailed. Some said I was not going to go through the screening process, but I scaled that hurdle. We were also able to travel the country and interact with party delegates. And we became very competitive," he said. GREAT TEAM He described the campaign directorate and staff as supportive, and hailed them for their commitment to the campaign efforts, insisting that the bid was not lost due to their failure. "I would like to say that our inability to prevail last week Thursday (January 13) was not due to your failure;

it was not due to your lack of effort or commitment. I know that you were committed and that you worked hard. So, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You should, therefore, hold your heads high and never despair," Mr. Abubakar said. He again re-affirmed that since the conclusion of the PDP Convention on January 13, he has been holding consultations with members of his family and political associates and that these consultations are ongoing. "In the meantime, we shall be winding down activities at this campaign office and closing the office so that you may get back to the other aspects of your lives. I thank you for your hard work and sacrifices," he said. He, however, assured them that the team ‘shall reconvene' at a later date. Director General of the Atiku Campaign

Organisation, Ben Obi has said that irrespective of the outcome of the PDP presidential primaries, Mr. Abubakar ‘remains a political force to be reckoned with in Nigeria.' "The country needs the services of this man. There is no way anybody can form a government without the support of the Turaki," he said. "We will come back again and so be ready to be called upon, even at short notice, whenever the situation demands. For now we cannot keep you all together, but I know that we still have some steam left in our avowed commitment to working together with Nigerians to make good things happen in our dear country."

Police prosecutor, Francis Udofia, told the court that on January 19, one Simi Maikasuwa of Karu village reported to the police that while she was on queue during the voters’ registration exercise at ECWA Church in the area, the accused brought out his male organ and pressed it against her buttocks and in the process released sperm thereby staining her cloth...

The prosecutor said the accused confessed to the crime during police investigations and contravened Section 285 of the Penal Code...

When the charge was read to the accused, he pleaded guilty and pleaded for leniency, while the prosecutor asked the court to try him summarily.

Senior Magistrate Sharon Ishaya Godwin found the accused guilty of indecency and convicted him to 10 days imprisonment or to pay N1,000 as fine option.

http://bigbrotherafrica.dstv.com/News/3795/Big-Brother-Africa-is-back.html

http://go.dstv.com/BBA/BBA_Entry_Application_Form.pdf

For those of you interested in appearing in Big Brother 6, the forms are out and will close on 27th February 2011. Remember, you  have to be  21 years or older to apply.

The links above take you to the form.
Good luck!

http://4u2great.blogspot.com/2011/01/application-for-big-brother-africa-6-is.html

To enjoy cost effective internet, you need to activate an internet bundle for your internet browsing. If not you will be browsing at pay as you go, which is billed at per kb or per minute bases. Internet browsing on pay as you go is very expensive, so going for bundled internet access is recommended. Here we provide browsing activation codes for various internet bundles offered by networks in Nigeria. The aim is to provide easy access to Activation codes for internet browsing bundles across networks in Nigeria. To make it more useful, we also included the cost and data limit of the internet browsing bundles. You will also find info on checking your data balance.

Networks in Nigeria offer two forms of activation for their internet browsing bundles. One is the USSD method, where you dial a code ended with the hash key (#). Once you dial the code, you will receive a response if successful or unsuccessful. The second method involves sending a code to a number via SMS. You will receive an SMS if activation is successful. When using a modem, some come with software that makes it possible to activate browsing packages without any code, just click the button for the internet browsing bundle you are interested in on the software interface and it will be activated automatically...

Activation codes for Internet bundles in Nigeria

Here are activation codes for different internet browsing bundles in Nigeria. We focus on GSM networks as those are the ones we have activation codes for. If your CDMA network uses activation codes, you can share it via a comment.

Activation codes for Glo Internet bundles

Here are activation codes for Glo internet browsing bundles. Glo activation code involves sending an SMS containing a two-digit number to 127.

    * Glo Always Max (30 days) – N7,500 (6GB data limit) SMS 12 to 127
    * Glo Always Min (30 days) – N5,000 (1.5GB data limit) Send 11 to 127
    * Glo Always Micro (30 days) – N1,000 (150MB data limit) text 13 to 127
    * Glo Always Day (24 hours) – N500 (150MB data limit) send 10 to 127
    * Glo G300 (300 hours internet bundle) – N15,000 (4GB data limit) SMS 21 to 127
    * Glo G100 (100 hours internet bundle) – N6,000 (3GB data limit) send 20 to 127
    * Glo G Work (8am – 9pm) – N6,000 (3GB limit) send 31 to 127
    * Glo G Leisure (8pm – 9am + all day weekend) – N5,000 (3GB limit) SMS 30 to 127

To check your data balance, SMS info to 127.

Activation codes for MTN Internet browsing bundles

Here are activation codes for MTN internet browsing bundles. Like Glo, MTN activation code is done via SMS. However, in the case of MTN a three-digit number is used and 131 is the number to send the SMS to...

    * MTN Monthly for mobile, 100MB (24/7 30 days) - N1000 (text 106 to 131)
    * MTN Daily for mobile, 10MB (24 hours) - N100 (SMS 104 to 131)
    * MTN Weekly for mobile, 25MB (24/7, 7 days) - N500 (text 105 to 131)
    * MTN Daily Internet, 150MB (24 hours) - N500 (text 103 to 131)
    * MTN Monthly Internet, 5GB (24/7, 30 days) - N8,000 (text 101 to 131)
    * MTN Day Time Internet, 3GB (9am - 9pm, 30 days) - N6,000 (text 107 to 131)
    * MTN Night Internet, 3GB (9pm - 6am, 30 days) - N2,500 (text 102 to 131)
    * MTN Weekend, 3GB (9am Fri - 9pm Mon, 30 days) - N3,000 (text 108 to 131)

To check your data balance, SMS 2 to 131.

Activation codes for Airtel Internet bundles

Here are activation codes for Airtel (formally Zain) internet browsing bundles. Activation for Airtel internet is done via USSD.

    * Airtel Day Internet, 50MB, N500 – dial *141*712*3#
    * Airtel Lite, 100MB Internet, N1,000 – dial *141*712*4#
    * Airtel Plus, 1GB Internet, N5,000 – dial *141*712*1#
    * Airtel Max, 3GB Internet, N10,000 – dial *141*712*2#
    * Airtel Premium, 6GB, N15,000 – dial *141*712*5#

To check your data balance, dial *141*712*0#.

Activation codes for Etisalat Internet browsing bundles

Here are activation codes for Etisalat internet browsing bundles. Like Airtel, Etisalat's activation code is done via USSD.

    * Etisalat Flex 100MB Internet, N1,000 - *229*2*1#
    * Etisalat Flex 500MB Internet, N3,000 – *229*2*2#
    * Etisalat Flex 3GB Internet, N10,000 – *229*2*3#
    * Etisalat Daily Internet, N500 – *229*3*1#
    * Etisalat Night and weekend, N5,000 – *229*3*3#

To check your data balance, dial *228#.

That is the activation code. Hope you find it useful. Feel free to notify us of errors via comment. You can also notify us of activation codes for internet browsing bundles for other networks not included here.

Related Topics:

    * Cost of Internet Browsing Report, November 2010
    * Cheap Internet Browsing bundles in Nigeria
    * Value for Money Internet browsing bundles in Nigeria
    * MTN 100MB internet browsing bundle
    * Glo 150MB internet browsing bundle
    * MultiLinks internet browsing bundles
    * Etisalat 500MB internet browsing bundle
    * Glo 3G plus: pre-paid internet browsing packages
    * Breaking free from MTN free internet browsing cheats
    * MTN Night Browsing bundle
    * Airtel internet browsing bundles
    * Etisalat internet browsing bundles
    * Glo 3G plus: HSDPA high speed internet browsing

To TV viewers, radio listeners, and music fans in Nigeria, ace broadcaster and founder of Kennis Music, Mr. Kenny 'Keke' Ogungbe, needs no introduction. He shares his experience with CHUX OHAI

Kenny Ogungbe

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From the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation to RayPower 100.5 FM, Kennis Music, and now Rainbow 94.1 FM, how would you describe your life as a broadcaster?

My entertainment and broadcasting life didn't even start with the OGBC. Many people don't know this. I started my career with NTA Abeokuta. That was in the early 1980s when the NTA first came to Ogun State, precisely 30 years ago. I recall starting work with Yemi Shodimu. We both started work at NTA Abeokuta on the same day. From there, I travelled to the US for higher education in New Orleans. I got a master's in Mass Communications. But my first degree is in accounting. I'm an accountant. I'm a CPA candidate. CPA stands for Chartered Public Accountant of California. People don't know about this. They just think that Kenny likes to count figures and numbers. All the time I was in the business school, I knew I would be going into the media. So, my minor was in the media. When I got to postgraduate school, I branched into the media. I took my second degree in radio, television, and film. I didn't enter into this business out of nowhere. I was prepared. I worked in OGBC when I returned to Nigeria. That was where people knew me. From there I went into politics briefly. I was the campaign manager for Dr. Raymond Dokpesi when he was running for the Senate during the Social Democratic Party/National Republican Convention days. We were in the NRC then and he contested the Edo North Senatorial seat. It was after this that we established RayPower FM radio station.

Was it your idea to start RayPower FM?

I don't like to say it.

Your enthusiasm for that radio station makes it look like it was your own idea.

It was because I was allowed to express myself, to do what had never been done before in Nigeria. The station turned out to be the pioneer of privately-owned media in the country. Today, it has given birth to many other radio and TV stations. We brought a lot of razzmatazz from Hollywood because I grew up in Hollywood. After my college degrees, I went to California and I worked in the media. So, that was what fetched all that live coverage of entertainment events across the world, such as the Grammy Awards and Soul Train Awards.

What did you set out to achieve as a broadcaster?

It was the 24-hour broadcast. I started it in Nigeria with the help of my boss (Dokpesi). The first radio station to ever embark on a 24-hour broadcast is RayPower. Also, the first satellite TV station in Nigeria to go on the air for 24 hours is the Africa Independent Television. When we started this, there were all kinds of criticisms. People asked why we decided to broadcast for 24 hours. Some said we would never be able to add commercials to our programmes with the new arrangement. But today, the story is different.

Sourcing electric power must have posed a serious challenge to you initially at RayPower. How did you cope with it?

When we started RayPower, electricity was a serious problem, really. For several months, the National Electric Power Authority didn't provide us with power. It was after we had spent 18 months that Dokpesi decided to buy poles and electric cables, buy transformers, and drill a borehole because there was no water supply there. Before he did this, we were virtually operating on a power generator. Yet, people were asking how come we never, even once, punctuated our programmes with the phrase, 'due to power failure, we're sorry...' At the time, we were having five sets of different high-calibre power generators.

Apart from providing entertainment, did you also set out to make profit?

Of course, RayPower wasn't a public enterprise. It was a private enterprise and that was what even gave birth to AIT. In the long run, that also took it to the level of a public liability company. RayPower opened doors to other radio stations, such as Rhythm 93.7 FM and Star FM. It was after the success story of RayPower that Rhythm came up. Today, everybody is on air and the whole frequency in Lagos is almost taken.

Do you enjoy being in the limelight?

It gives me joy. It's the passion for the job that we do that really counts, not the cash returns that one gets. If you don't have passion, you won't be able to do it. Instead, you will be left by the wayside. The moment I switch on the microphone, I'm high. Naturally, I derive joy from the knowledge that anytime I speak into the microphone, millions of people out there will be listening to me.

How do you cope with your female fans?

Why should female fans bother me? I'm neither a singer nor a rapper. I'm not a sex symbol either. I know I'm seen in that light, but I don't even think about it. I'm just polite to ladies. If any lady walks in here and says 'hello' to me, I say 'hi' to her and even put on a smile. I'm a very accessible person. I would shake hands and talk with you. But if you decide to behave in a funny way, I won't take it. My friends know me. They know that I can be very blunt.

Apart from broadcasting, what other dreams did you have when you were growing up?

To be honest with you, my dream was to have one united Nigeria in which everybody would be respected and live as one family. I had hopes that there would be constant supply of electricity and water in this country and enough amenities for everybody, especially when I left Nigeria. I left Nigeria in 1981 and I got my first degree two-and-a-half years later. In America, I had a car and lived in an apartment of my own. I was in my teens. I didn't go to school in buses or trains. In my first day in the university, I bought a car: a yellow Nissan B210. It was like having a yellow Hummer jeep in school. I owe everything to the family I come from.

You haven't answered my question.

I dreamed of a better country and that was why when I completed my education in America, I came back home. I saw America as a very organised country and I felt that Nigeria could also be like that. Actually, I dreamed that Nigeria could be like that.

You sound as if you had an exciting experience in America.

Yes, I had a wonderful experience in America. A lot of people studying in America at the time had to work in order to pay their fees. They had to do odd jobs. But I never had to do that. I lived well as a student. Of course, as soon as I got my first degree, I jumped into the master's degree programme, which took me nine months to complete. That also gave me enough inspiration.

Does it mean you had no challenges in America?

I haven't said that. I had many challenges in America. One of them was the fact that I was black in a country where everybody was supposed to be white. I faced the challenge of racial discrimination. I recall the day I wanted to buy a sofa in a shop and the owner looked at me in a funny way, as if he felt I couldn't afford it. I didn't like the reception I got, so I had to look elsewhere for the sofa. Even the way I talk and write posed some challenges to me. If, because I was taught to write in the English way, I wrote in a way that I felt was best, I would end up earning a dash of red ink across whatever I had written. The result was that at school, I learnt quickly to express myself in a simple and clear manner.

Like Siamese twins, you are practically everywhere with Dayo Adeneye and both of you do things together all the time. How did your friendship with him start?

We met in school.

Which school?

Southern University in New Orleans. Dayo was there as well. It was a scenario in which two youths far away from home, who went to the same school separately, now found about another Nigerian on campus who came from the same province back home and attended a neighbouring secondary school. Dayo and I are both Ijebu to boot. That was how we got to know each other.

What makes your relationship with him special?

It is because he is a special friend of mine. He is a special person and also treats me like a special person. When we have such scenario all the time, things will always work in Nigeria.

Did you drag Dayo into broadcasting or was it the reverse?

Actually it was Dokpesi who invited Dayo to join us when we started RayPower.

Now that you are involved with Rainbow FM, what happens to your pets, Kennis Music and Prime Time Entertainment?

Kennis Music has a general manager. Also, Prime Time Entertainment has its own GM. The GM for Kennis Music also runs the TV arm, the radio arm, and the audio production. The same thing applies to the GM of Prime Time Entertainment. Whenever they need me, especially when there is an important event, they call me. In about two or three weeks from now, Prime Time Africa will be going for the Grammy Awards and I will be there. On radio and TV for Prime Time Africa, I'm always there. So, the job is just getting bigger.

Is it true that at some point, Eedris AbdulKareem severed his contract with Kennis Music?

People just say all kinds of things. I try not to overemphasise anything because I'm a media person. I simply allow my hard work to speak for me. If I want to give out information, I write a press release, I call my publicist and get it out. Whenever we have anything with our artistes, some smart journalists will just start cooking something. The business we had with Eedris was very straight-forward and everything was fulfilled. He didn't jump the contract. He just felt he wanted to do his own thing with La Creme Entertainment. And now that he felt he needed to work with us again, he came back and we're working together. You know I was even featured on one of his records titled, My Calabar Girl.

Who was the Calabar girl that you sang about?

I'm still looking for her. We're even going to do a reality show on this.

Not too long ago, you were spotted leading a protest alongside Charly Boy against a matter involving the MCSN, COSON, and the Nigeria Copyrights Commission in Abuja. Have you also turned an activist?

To be honest with you, I've recorded more songs than anybody in Nigeria in the past 10 years. I've recorded over 71 music albums as a producer and owner of recordings. If you sign a contract with me, I'll record you and sponsor that album. That makes me the owner of the recording. The artiste is the owner of the voice. Whether he writes the song or hires somebody to write it for him, Kennis Music owns that particular recording because no one can start playing only your voice anywhere you go without the instruments. I've more of that particular type of recording than anybody in Nigeria right now. And each of the 71 albums I mentioned contains the average of 13 to 15 songs. If you multiply 15 songs by 71 albums, it equals over 1,000 songs. So if I've such a large amount of works in my possession, this makes me a stakeholder in the music industry. So I can't be pushed around when it comes to the issue of entertainment. In a situation where there are over 30 oil companies, over 20 banking institutions, over 20 insurance companies, and about 10 telecommunications companies, and they are all striving well, why should anybody wake up and say there should be one collecting society, when it comes to collecting money on recordings through radio or TV stations or other value-added services? I know where I belong: the MCSN. Internationally, I belong to EMI and Broadcast Media Incorporated Association of America. And in Nigeria, BMI is represented by MCSN. In fact, MCSN represents all international outfits in the world. Now, I'm saying if you register another company that I don't belong to and this company collects money from Rainbow FM, for instance, how do I now get paid, since I'm not a member of the society? Everybody can't be a member of one society. Whoever made the law that says there should be only one collecting society for everybody hasn't carried along all stakeholders. The law is faulty. It should be corrected because laws are not made forever. Laws are always updated according to the yearnings of the people. That was why we took the issue to the Attorney-General of the Federation and he said he would look into it to see how it could be amicably resolved. Second, as a broadcaster, I'm a user of recordings. Apart from the fact that I'm the highest recording person in this country, I'm also one of the highest users of audio and audio-visual recordings, I don't even want one person to be the governing body. I want to have a choice in how much I should pay for using recordings. In a situation where you don't have a choice, TV and radio stations will gang up and say your price is too high. If you say you don't want to listen to them and they refuse to play that person's record, who suffers? It is the artiste. I'm not a noise maker, but when an issue involves me and the livelihood of my children, I won't keep quiet about it.

What plans do you have for Rainbow FM?

As usual, my objective is to improve on the quality of radio broadcasting in Nigeria. I believe we're going to do better than any other station in the country. For example, I want to re-introduce live broadcasts on Rainbow FM. Part of it includes the Friday Night live jams that we used to host at RayPower in those days.

How do you combine your tight schedule with family life?

My wife, Bolajoko, has been a blessing to my life. She is the reason why I live and I'm called a family man today. I met her over 20 years ago before I even joined OGBC. She knew me when I just entered the university. I came home for holidays and I met her. Since then, it's been a fantastic relationship. She has always been there for me, giving me all the support I need from her.

How do you unwind?

I'm a lucky man. My job unwinds me. Working hard and getting paid for it is the only way I unwind.

Teju Babyface Show: Beating the odds

Onoshe Nwabuikwu

The Teju Babyface Show on Silverbird Television is hosted by comedian, Teju 'Babyface' Oyelakin. Going by the previous attempts by comedians to present shows on TV, I'd have given this programme a miss. I had more or less given up on watching something that would be actually funny, a show which would mix the right amount of humour/comedy/politics/entertainment and still end up interesting to watch.

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I remember a comedian who shall remain nameless (as this is a New Year) presenting a show which was hardly funny. It appeared as if the comedian saw the show as 'awoof' or 'osho-free' and didn't want to bother himself about a show people hadn't paid to watch. So, he stinted on his humour and generally threw his weight around. Then, there were those shows where so called professional comedians couldn't even do a half decent impersonation.

Surely, you do get my drift now. So, let's not waste more time on what wasn't and gush over what is. Where many have failed, Teju Babyface has succeeded in producing not just a funny show, but a show that acquits itself favourably on other counts.He has a Sketch as a poltician/cum governor with Stella Damascus as his perenial interviewer .And the interview with Sunny Ade is a classic Representation of Old School Wisdom lol !

The best part for me is the ease and seeming effortlessness of Teju Babyface as presenter, interviewer, comedian, etc. As an interviewer, he keeps his focus by managing to get his guests to loosen up. He's managed to get Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa to relive her former life as member of a band by rapping on air! Jay Z she isn't, but it was just the kind of let-your-hair-down fun we do need TV for. He also got ex-international football star, Segun Odegbami, dancing to King Sunny Ade's song -the show's theme song. And for those of us who missed Odegbami's 'Mathematical' days, his 'moves' sure showed he still has 'it'.

Oyelakin. Going by the previous attempts by comedians to present shows on TV, I'd have given this programme a miss. I had more or less given up on watching something that would be actually funny, a show which would mix the right amount of humour/comedy/politics/entertainment and still end up interesting to watch.

I remember a comedian who shall remain nameless (as this is a New Year) presenting a show which was hardly funny. It appeared as if the comedian saw the show as 'awoof' or 'osho-free' and didn't want to bother himself about a show people hadn't paid to watch. So, he stinted on his humour and generally threw his weight around. Then, there were those shows where so called professional comedians couldn't even do a half decent impersonation.

Surely, you do get my drift now. So, let's not waste more time on what wasn't and gush over what is. Where many have failed, Teju Babyface has succeeded in producing not just a funny show, but a show that acquits itself favourably on other counts.

The best part for me is the ease and seeming effortlessness of Teju Babyface as presenter, interviewer, comedian, etc. As an interviewer, he keeps his focus by managing to get his guests to loosen up. He's managed to get Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa to relive her former life as member of a band by rapping on air! Jay Z she isn't, but it was just the kind of let-your-hair-down fun we do need TV for. He also got ex-international football star, Segun Odegbami, dancing to King Sunny Ade's song -the show's theme song. And for those of us who missed Odegbami's 'Mathematical' days, his 'moves' sure showed he still has 'it'.